Toowoomba residents' strongly oppose land clearing

Geoff has been working for the QT since August 2011 covering Ipswich’s rural areas. He started working for APN in January 2010 with the Chinchilla News in western Queensland after growing up on a grain farm. Geoff spends his time out of work watching far too much sport following the Reds, the Broncos and various American teams.

RESTRICTING farmers' rights to clear land will devastate the industry - but not doing so will leave our environment in tatters.

These are the opposing views Toowoomba residents have put to Queensland politicians who examined proposed land clearing laws.

The Queensland Government has proposed to tighten the land clearing laws, claiming the amount of land cleared across the state tripled in the three years after the Newman Government relaxed the laws.

In a public submission to the Environment and Agriculture Committee, Mount Lofty woman Lorraine Tacouni said Queensland's environment was at risk.

"Picture a world where humanity has continued down the path of destroying our environment," she said.

"Would you want to live there? Would it even be possible to live there?

"Grab a lawn chair, take a walk in the woods, find a pleasant, comfortable spot, and then just sit quietly. Feel the earth beneath your feet, smell the air, listen to the sounds. Now close your eyes and imagine the bulldozers coming through."

In contrast Ravensbourne man Don Groves said the changes would devastate the agricultural industry.

"I will be concerned about the long-term viability of farming in my district if we have the ability to manage trees and grass taken away," he said.

"My family have been have been here for five generations and have farmed conservatively believing trees have a part to play in a healthy farming system."

Mr Groves also warned about the risk of bushfires and the spread of lantana with reduced land clearing.

But the laws have come under fire from the Queensland Law Society because of the reversal of the onus of proof so that people would be presumed guilty rather than innocent.

The parliamentary committee could not reach a decision about whether the bill should become law but recommended removing the provision the QLS objected to.